Whispers of the Forest Elves
by Crystal Rose of Pollux
Summary: In their younger years, they chased after legends. And now Raoul and Christine recall an adventure from those days, when the legends were just a grasp away. Raoul/Christine
1. Surely They are There!

This fic was inspired by some of the prompts at the 30 Memories and 31 Days communities on LiveJournal. This first chapter was inspired by the prompts "Wonderland" and "Only in fairy tales" (and I couldn't resist slipping in the _Lord of the Rings_ reference). Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, except for Giselle and Sybille. Thanks to kayra-pauline for plot help!

* * *

It began as a quiet evening in the Chagny estate… of course, the evenings never stayed that way for long. Raoul had been listening to his wife, Christine, practice her singing when their two daughters burst into the room, banishing all quietness. They had been in the middle of their usual after-dinner activity, chasing glow-worms, but something else had intrigued them.

"Papa! Mama!" the elder girl, Giselle, exclaimed.

"We saw an elf!" the younger girl, Sybille, said.

Christine stopped singing to glance at her children. She then exchanged glances with Raoul, and the both of them had to look away to avoid laughing.

"We really saw one!" insisted Giselle, who seemed to read her parents' expressions. "It was in the back garden!"

"It was little, and it was dressed in green!" added Sybille.

Raoul didn't want to point out that it was probably just a poor, unfortunate cat that some child decided to tie a green cloth around, so he decided to go along with the story.

"Mind that you're careful if you want to chase it," he said to his daughters.

This immediately earned him a simultaneous "Why?" from both inquisitive girls.

"You're not really supposed to chase elves," he explained. "It is said that they are able to sense mischievous children, and that they love to lead them right into troubles and misadventures."

"Careful, Raoul," said Christine, with a smile. "You're implicating _us_ with that statement."

"Were _you_ mischievous children?" asked Giselle, with an air of suspicion and curiosity.

"I suppose we had a slight tendency to find trouble," said Raoul.

"…Says the one who ran headlong into the sea to find my scarf…" mused Christine.

"It isn't as though your record was spotless," Raoul informed her, with a smile.

Now Christine laughed.

"Oh, I guess we _were_ both partners in crime…" she said, between giggles.

"And did the elves really lead _you_ into troubles and misadventures?" asked Giselle, wide-eyed and amazed.

At this, the couple exchanged glances.

"Do you remember, Christine?" asked Raoul.

"Of course; it may as well have been yesterday," she replied.

"Tell us! Tell us!" pleaded the girls.

Of course, there was no turning away from the subject now that Giselle and Sybille were determined to hear it. And so Raoul and Christine began to recount the tale of yesteryear.

* * *

Christine had just turned seven, and was once again spending the days by the seaside. Her father's illness had started to take a turn for the worse, so she was grateful that Raoul, just a few years older than she, was there to keep her company. They had been acquainted with each other for a couple years by this time, and enjoyed each other's company.

On that warm, summer morning, Christine was reading a book on legendary creatures beneath the shade of a willow tree. It was a favorite book of hers; her father, in his healthier days, would read from it every night before she fell asleep, and when Raoul would visit, he would narrate the legends to him, as well. Christine adored the book, and her dreams would be filled with the creatures she heard about. Even in her waking moments, she would often daydream that she would ride off on a unicorn and encounter sprites and goblins. Or she would imagine riding to a settlement of forest elves, or perhaps even as far away as the legendary Lothlorien.

"Good morning, Christine!"

Christine looked up from her book to see the young Raoul hanging by his knees from one of the lower branches of the tree so that he was at eye level with her (albeit upside-down). He had achieved what he had intended to: get Christine to laugh. She didn't laugh as much anymore, he realized. And he knew that it was due to her father's worsening health. But she was laughing now, and that made hanging upside-down from the tree all worthwhile.

"Oh, honestly, Raoul!" she said, between giggles. "What on earth would your governess say if she finds out about this!?"

"Nothing, because you shan't be telling her!" he replied, with a grin.

"You're right; I wouldn't," Christine agreed. "But come down from there before that branch breaks!"

"You sounded just like her then…" Raoul mused, but he came down to solid ground anyway. "Are you reading that book again?"

Yes; I can't read it enough!" she said. She paused as an idea struck her. "Raoul… do you think you and I could go in search of forest elves today?"

"We have before; I don't see why we couldn't…"

"No," said Christine. "Normally, we only stay at the forest's edge, and that must be why we haven't found any yet! I say we go in bit further and look; we're sure to find them!"

"Are you allowed to go that far into the forest?" asked Raoul, doubtful that Monsieur Daaé would permit such a thing.

"Oh, we shan't be going _all_ that far; just a little bit further than we normally do!" she said. "I'm going to go to back to the house to bring a picnic to take with us. Are you coming?"

"Certainly!"

"…And you shan't be telling Father, right?" she asked, as they began to walk back to the house.

"Of course not," Raoul answered, with another smile. "If I do, you would be sure to tell my governess that I was climbing trees."

"And she would tell Philippe, and then you would be getting a right earful!" Christine reminded him.

"Yes, and I know just what he would say…" mused Raoul, and he then launched into an imitation of his elder brother. "'A Chagny does not climb trees or wander through forests; he acts as the nobleman he is, and trains for his life on the sea. Our ancestors were captains and commodores; you must become one as well, and you must prepare for it now!'"

"Come on then, Commodore Raoul," she said, running ahead of him. "A mariner must be swift-footed!"

And so they raced back to the house. There was no clear winner; Christine was running through the front garden, nearing the door, so Raoul took a shortcut, charging through the hedge, and they both got to the door at the same time.

"And a mariner must always use his wits," Raoul said, with a triumphant smile; he had, of course, let her remain in the lead until the very end. He wasn't sure why he hadn't used his full stamina and win instead of just tying. He would have outrun any other girl without a second thought, and would then stand back to smirk at her furious rants; he would frequently outrun his elder sisters in the races he held with them, much to their annoyance. So why didn't he outrun Christine? Was it because he knew of her gentle spirit? Or was it for another reason?

"I cannot believe that you ran right through the hedge!" Christine said, indicating the twigs and leaves in her friend's blond hair. "I'm sure that is something a commodore would never do!"

"Well, I know that a commodore would hold the door open for a lady," Raoul said, and so he held the door for Christine.

"Thank you, Commodore," she said, with a polite curtsy.

"Have you been promoted already?" asked Monsieur Daaé, who had overheard their conversation.

"Not at all, Monsieur," said Raoul, going along with his jest.

"And what, pray tell, is the state of my poor hedge?" the violinist asked, as the children entered the room.

Raoul exchanged glances with Christine before turning back to Monsieur Daaé, replying with a shrug. The boy hastily brushed the incriminating remnants of the plant from his hair.

"How are you feeling, Father?" asked Christine.

"No change as of now," he replied, visibly weak and tired. "The doctor is coming back later to see what can be done."

"He was here only a few days ago," said Christine. "Why is he coming back so soon?"

He did not want to tell her the real reason—that the doctor had delivered a prognosis, and was coming back to see if he was to confirm it. And so he said nothing, which concerned her.

The happiness that had been in Christine's face a moment ago began to fade like sunlight on a cloudy day. Sensing this, Raoul brought up the idea of the picnic, though omitting the location. None the wiser, Monsieur Daaé granted them permission to go, instructing that Christine be back in time for supper.

"You are free to join us this evening, as well," he added. "And mind that you don't get my daughter into any trouble!"

"Of course, Monsieur," Raoul promised. "I'll watch over her."

"Raoul need not watch over me, Father; I'll be fine," assured Christine. "And you need not worry."

Monsieur Daaé took his daughter's hands in his.

"And you need not worry, either," he said, and everyone present in the room knew that he was referring to his health. Yes, he knew he was ill, but the last thing he wanted was for her to worry about it. She would have plenty to worry about later if the doctor's prognosis came true.

It was in silence and a great deal of thought that Christine and Raoul began to prepare the sandwiches for their excursion. Raoul knew that there was no point in trying to say that she shouldn't worry, and that her father would be back to perfect health soon; Monsieur Daaé had already told him of the doctor's prognosis.

"_But you must not tell her now_," he had pleaded to Raoul. "_I am waiting for the right time to tell her. The reason I told you is because you need to know why we shall soon be leaving this place. There are supposed to be better doctors elsewhere, and I might have a better chance. You have been a good and kind friend to Christine, and I know that it must sadden you to know that she will be leaving. You deserved to know the reason why._"

And Raoul had understood; he didn't like it at all, but he understood. And he promised not to breathe a word of it to Christine. And it was also why he had been so willing to go on this little adventure with her; normally, Christine would have had to convince him a lot longer to get him to break the rules, but he had accepted today, knowing that these last few weeks with Christine would be precious. For all he knew, he might never see her again after she left.

"So…" he said, as he helped to make the sandwiches. "Do you think we'll see any elves?"

This raised Christine's spirits slightly, taking her mind off of her father's condition.

"I know we will, Raoul," she said. "Something's telling me that we shall have an adventure today… and we cannot have an adventure in the forest without seeing at least one forest elf!"

"…_We could if we saw a bear…_" Raoul thought to himself, but he didn't voice this aloud. After all, they wouldn't be going all that deep into the forest, and he had never heard of bears wandering out to the forest's edge, especially when they were so close to the sea.

"There!" exclaimed Christine, looking at the small pile of sandwiches that they had constructed together. "That should be enough to last us for the rest of the day, right?"

"I don't see why not…" the boy answered, storing the food in his rucksack. "And even if they don't, we can always come back."

"But only if we have to," said Christine. "Why, those elves could run far away by the time we came back!"

Raoul suppressed a laugh.

"_I shall miss her when she goes_," he said to himself. But he soon banished the thought from his mind; he was determined to have this adventure with Christine, without thinking about her imminent departure.

"Raoul!" she called, bringing him back.

"Yes?"

Christine indicated the front door.

"Are you coming, Commodore?" she asked, with a smile.

"Right behind you, Little Lotte," he replied.


	2. In the Forest

Raoul had to admit that he was feeling slightly guilty about allowing Christine to go deeper into the forest, especially after Monsieur Daaé had clearly trusted him. Better judgment seemed to dictate that, as the older of the two, he should be responsible enough to know better. Yet, in the back of his mind was the haunting thought that this might very well be the last adventure he would be able to share with Christine. And he couldn't even voice his sentiments.

Oh, how he wanted to tell her everything! He longed to tell her that he had come to see her as a very dear friend, and that he wasn't even sure if they would ever see each other after she had to leave. She would ask, though, as to why she would be leaving, and to explain to her the reason why would be an even bigger breach of Monsieur Daaé's trust.

Christine continued to lead the way, blissfully unaware of her companion's dilemma. Perhaps this _was_ better for her, Raoul realized, as terrible as it would be for himself.

"Here we are…" Christine whispered, her face alight with excitement. She spoke in the tone of a child who knew very well that she would be breaking her father's rules. She even went so far as to cast a furtive glance around, as though to ensure that they weren't being watched by any adult who would be likely to run back to the house to alert Monsieur Daaé.

But she need not have bothered; there wasn't a soul nearby, save for the two of them. She glanced back at Raoul, and was surprised to see that his mind seemed elsewhere.

"Raoul? Are you with me, Raoul?"

"What? Oh, yes; of course…"

"Raoul, you seem troubled," she said, the concern evident in her eyes. "Are you certain that you are all right? Perhaps we should go back; we can always come again some other day…"

"No, Christine; I'm fine, I promise," he said, trying to smile. And then he added to himself, "_Stop thinking about it now. Pretend as though Monsieur Daaé never told you anything._"

The two friends glanced down the pathway, which quickly vanished into the distance, hidden among the trees and undergrowth.

"Come on!" she whispered, and the two of them headed down the path, heedless of the greenery and low branches.

Raoul had to admit that he was amused; he doubted that there would be any other girls who would risk ruining their dresses by even entering a forest, let alone run through one at top speed. His own sisters had thought themselves to be far too good to even consider such a thing.

The two children held another race as they ran through the woods without a care in the world. This race, also, was inconclusive, as they often stopped to gaze at an animal that scurried by them, or pause to admire the ivy growth upon one of the tall trees that refused to give in, despite the ivy climbing up the trunk. They didn't find any elves, alas; and as they wandered further into the forest, the pathway suddenly ended, though the forest seemed to go on.

"I wonder why the path stops here…" Christine said.

"I guess this is as far as we can go," Raoul agreed. "Shall we have some of those sandwiches now?"

She agreed, and the two friends set up their picnic at the edge of the pathway.

"Raoul… do you think that my father shall ever get better?" she suddenly asked, in a slightly small voice.

"I… I cannot say; I haven't the powers to look into the future, Christine," the boy answered. "But I certainly hope that he does get well, for your sake."

"He thinks very highly of you, Raoul," she said. "He said that he would have had reservations about allowing me to associate with a boy who came from a family of sailors and aristocrats, but you are one of a kind."

Raoul didn't quite know how to reply to this; he was intrinsically humble, and didn't think that he was anyone special, simply because he was born into such a high-class family. Christine was someone special in her own right, he realized; he could certainly tell her that.

"You are one of a kind, too, Christine," he said.

She blushed in a typical girlish fashion, but her joy was short-lived as her thoughts turned back to her father.

"I know he told me not to worry," she said. "But that only seems to give me _more_ reason to worry. I think he's hiding something from me, Raoul; I know it's probably for my own good, but I do wish that he would tell me."

Raoul merely nodded along in agreement, hoping that his eyes wouldn't betray the fact that he knew something that she did not.

"I know the feeling," Raoul said. "Philippe tends to keep me in the dark as much as possible. I suspect it is because he thinks I'm hopelessly immature to comprehend anything serious…"

"If he had seen you climb that tree this morning, I'm sure that would have confirmed it," Christine teased, and she dodged the cucumber slice that Raoul threw at her before proceeding to throw one back at him. But the both of them knew that it was all in jest.

A sudden crackling of the undergrowth diverted their attention. Looking through the thick growth of tree-trunks, they could just discern something moving amidst the undergrowth. It was only visible for a moment, but it appeared to have been as green as the growth around it.

"An elf!" cried Christine, her eyes wide with wonder. She leaped up from the ground, pausing only to retrieve that handkerchief she had been sitting on. Not even noticing that she had dropped her unfinished sandwich, she immediately set out to pursue the creature.

"Christine, wait!" said Raoul, getting to his feet as well. "I don't think that straying off the path is wise--"

"Raoul, you saw it, too, didn't you?" she asked, turning back to him. "Come, quickly!"

Raoul considered the situation for several moments; he hadn't intended on going any further, especially since there no longer was a path to lead them. But he couldn't let Christine go off into the forest alone.

"Christine!" he called, running after her. "Wait half a moment!"

"Quickly, Raoul, or we shan't be able to catch up with it!" she informed him, slowing down her pace to allow him to catch up.

"Mind the nettles!" Raoul cautioned, noticing how she was hovering closely to several of the stinging plants. Finally, he caught up with her. "Are you certain this is a good idea?"

"We came to find the elves, Raoul, and now we've found one!" she exclaimed, slightly out of breath from running. "If we can find it and follow it, it just might lead us to more of them!"

The two friends ran for a few minutes longer, but saw nothing. Disappointed, Christine came to a stop.

"Well, the book said that forest elves are a quick and clever bunch," she said. "We should be lucky that we even saw one."

Raoul wasn't sure as to what they had seen; he had always been the slightly skeptical one of the duo. But he wasn't about to disillusion her by saying that they could have seen just about anything.

"We should be getting back, Christine; I don't think we ever would have been allowed to come this far," said Raoul. "We could go buy ice creams at the village square, if you'd like…"

He trailed off as he turned around and saw that the path had long been left behind. The boy was slightly concerned about this, but he knew that they had run in a straight line. All they would have to do is walk in a straight line backwards.

"Raoul!" Christine exclaimed. "Listen!"

A faint sound reached their ears; it was a quiet, mewling cry.

"That cannot possibly be an elf…" said Raoul. "It sounds like a kitten."

"I think you are right," said Christine. "Oh! You don't suppose that the poor thing wandered in from the village and got lost in here, do you?"

"It's highly possible," the boy replied. "Perhaps that is what we saw?"

"It couldn't be!" she exclaimed. "What we saw was green, and I have yet to see a green cat! But, never mind… we must find that poor kitten."

"Christine, I don't think we should go any further," Raoul advised.

"But, Raoul, who knows how long it has been wandering out here?" she asked, the concern evident in her eyes. Christine was an intrinsically caring person (as was Raoul, of course), though she would often allow her heart to go ahead of her mind, therefore leading her into trouble.

"Alright, we shall go a little but further," said Raoul, giving in. "But we need to find some way of keeping track of where we are…"

"Do you still have that chalk-like stone we found the other day?" asked Christine. "You can write something on each tree that we turn at."

"You don't seem too worried about getting lost," Raoul noticed, as he retrieved the stone from his rucksack.

"I would be if you weren't here," she said. "Everyone knows that sailors are the best navigators. Isn't that right, Commodore?"

"Well… yes…" he replied, once again not wanting to disillusion her.

He drew a dash on the tree, whispered a slight prayer that things were not going to go as bad as he was expecting, and followed Christine, who was searching for the lost kitten.

"After we find the kitten, we can go to the village square," she said. "Who knows; perhaps the kitten's owner will be there, looking for it. Wouldn't that be nice, Raoul? We may not have found where that elf ran off to, but we might be hailed as rescuers!"

"And we'll have had our grand adventure after all," he agreed, his concerns of becoming lost slowly leaving him.

"And it isn't as though we _didn't_ see an elf," she reminded him.

Raoul nodded, wondering what on earth that creature really had been. He had to admit that he had never seen anything quite like it, what with the vivid green color. However, he hadn't had the chance to get a closer look.

"_Who knows, though?_" he thought to himself. "_Maybe Christine is right, and we did see an actual elf. After all of the times we tried and failed to find one, it seems fitting that we finally were able to today, when we might not have another chance to do so again…_"

He had to wonder… when Christine left, would she find a new friend to seek out elves with? She would certainly want to continue with her adventures, and she would hate to do so alone. But Raoul didn't like the thought of someone else leading Christine around; whoever the new friend would be, he would never be as concerned for her as Raoul was.

But Christine wasn't the type to cast Raoul aside so quickly, and he knew that, too. Their friendship was a special one; neither of them would have guessed that they would form such a close bond from something as simple as a lost scarf. Looking back, Raoul realized that he had been lucky that he hadn't been caught in a riptide, but he knew he wouldn't have had any regrets, even if he had. Helping others seemed to come naturally to him, no matter what the consequences would be. And that was something that annoyed Philippe to no end.

Philippe had not been pleased to hear of the scarf incident. He had chided Raoul for a long time afterwards, going on and on about how a Chagny should be far too dignified to chase after something as unimportant as a scarf, let alone running headlong into the sea.

Raoul sighed as he recalled this incident; he often wished that he and his elder brother could one day see eye to eye. He understood his brother's frustrations; it wasn't easy to take on responsibilities of Comte, and he wanted to be worthy of the title. And he also seemed to think that Raoul should act more worthy of his own title of Vicomte; it was easy for him to forget that Raoul was but a child.

And that was why Raoul especially enjoyed his time with Christine. Christine didn't treat him any differently, just because he happened to have a title to his name. And he, in turn, never even gave a second thought to the fact that she came from a poor family.

Raoul was brought back to the present by Christine's excited voice.

"Raoul, look! I found it!"

She was kneeling in front of a hollow log. Raoul knelt beside her, and the large, furry kitten was clearly visible.

But as Raoul took a second glance at the kitten, he realized that something didn't seem quite right. The kitten had two very large tufts of fur on its ears—something that he had never seen on a domestic cat.

"Christine, I think we should leave," he said.

"But, the kitten--"

She was cut off by an angry growling behind them. The two turned around on the spot to see an angry mother lynx.


	3. The Lynx and the Elf Circle

"Christine," said Raoul, keeping as calm as he could (in reality, his heart was pounding in his chest as the lynx bared its sharp teeth). "Back away slowly, and whatever you do, do not run."

Carefully, the two children took slow, cautious steps away from the log and the kitten.

"Do you think we've angered it…?" Christine asked, in a small voice.

"I am afraid so; going too close to its child would be more than enough provocation," said Raoul. "I want you to find the nearest tree which you can climb, and get to a high branch."

Christine risked a glance behind her. There were no climbable trees nearby; the tree trunks were tall and smooth. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw a low-hanging oak branch. Perhaps, if she jumped, she would be able to reach it.

Desperate to get out of the way of the lynx, she didn't stop to consider that the sudden move would have been enough to act as the last straw for the angered cat. The moment she jumped and grabbed hold of the branch, the lynx ran at her, swiping at her dangling feet. Christine shrieked in alarm, holding onto the branch for dear life as she desperately tried to keep her feet out of the creature's way.

"Christine!" Raoul yelled. All good judgment left him; grabbing a fallen branch from the forest floor, he approached the cat, brandishing the branch in order to distract it from Christine.

His plan worked all too well; the lynx left Christine and turned on him.

"Run, Christine!" he ordered.

Christine obeyed, casting a horrified glance at the scene behind her; the lynx was forcing Raoul to literally run backwards. Unfortunately for the young viscount, he couldn't afford to look behind him, which resulted in him tripping over a moss-covered stone.

Christine, who had still been glancing behind her as she ran, screamed as she saw the lynx take a swipe at her friend. Raoul did his best to dodge the cat's blow; he successfully got to his feet, but not without enduring a few gashes from the lynx's claws on his right shoulder.

"Keep running!" he called to her, deciding to retreat as well.

Only after ensuring that he was all right did the girl flee. He was right behind her, with the lynx in pursuit. Only after they had run several yards away did the lynx give up the chase and return to her kitten.

But Raoul and Christine, still wary that she might change her mind and resume her pursuit, continued to run. Both of them had forgotten to keep track of where they had been running; Raoul had dropped the chalk-like stone when the lynx had charged at them, and even if he had still had it in his possession, he wouldn't have had the time to draw the dashes on the trees.

All he could do was pray that he would be able to remember their way back to the village.

* * *

Back in the village, Raoul's governess was hard at work; she was mending one of the boy's many torn jackets.

"_Every time he goes off with that Daaé girl, he always ends up ruining his jackets in some way or another_," she sighed to herself. "_Heaven only knows what those two get themselves into…_"

Her thoughts were diverted by a sharp knocking upon the front door.

"Master Philippe!" the governess exclaimed, curtseying before him. "What brings you here?"

"I wish to speak with my younger brother," the count replied. "I have been called to London on business, and I feel as though that it would beneficial for Raoul to accompany me."

"Are you certain?" asked the governess, trying as casually as possible to hide the boy's torn jacket. "He is but a child, Master Philippe; I do not know if going on a business trip at such a young age is wise."

"The boy needs to learn of the responsibilities that will one day be his; now is just as good a time as any to learn," said Philippe. "And I would think that he should be pleased at the chance to go abroad for a change. I must speak with him at once; where is he?"

"He has been in his room all morning," the governess replied. "It is odd, I must say; I haven't heard a word from him all day. It usually is a constant struggle to keep him in the house." She led Philippe to the upstairs room. "Master Raoul? Your brother is here to speak with you!"

There was no reply.

"Master Raoul?" she asked.

"Raoul, I must speak with you at once," said Philippe, in a slightly commanding tone.

There was still no reply, and the door was locked.

"Surely he cannot be asleep at _this_ time!" said the governess. "Oh, I pray he isn't ill…"

"Raoul, I order you to open this door!" said Philippe.

And when no reply came, Philippe forced the locked door open. To his astonishment, the room was empty.

"Mercy!" cried the governess. She pointed to a bed sheet, which had been twisted into a rope. One end had been tied to the bedpost, and the other end vanished outside, through the open window. "Oh, Master Raoul, what have you done!? Where have you gone!?"

"You haven't the slightest idea as to when he left?" asked Philippe.

"None at all, Master Philippe!" the governess wailed, wringing her hands in worry. "I thought that he was in his room this entire time!"

"Pull yourself together," said Philippe, in a calm voice, hoping that the governess would calm down as well. "Surely you must have some idea where Raoul goes during the times he actually announces his departure."

"He often goes to the village square with the violinist's daughter," the woman recalled. "Or they go by the seaside; those two explore every part of the village and the surrounding area."

"Fine," said Philippe. "We shall pay a visit to this violinist; perhaps he is aware of where my brother is…"

"You… you shan't be too harsh on Master Raoul, shall you?" asked the governess. "He is only a child; he doesn't know any better…"

"Then it is high time that he learned," said Philippe, with a sigh. "He cannot act this stubborn and impulsive forver; it will one day lead him into trouble, mark my words…"

But in the back of his mind, he had to admit that he was trying to treat Raoul as though he was several years older than his true age. It wasn't intentional, of course; Philippe himself had been pulled into adulthood far earlier than he had expected to. With his two sisters married off, he alone had to care for his younger brother. And Philippe had to admit that he wasn't sure as to what he was doing. Raoul was unlike the other young members of the aristocracy. It seemed as though the children of most other noblemen held their titles and ranks with pride, happily attending high-class gatherings and banquets. Raoul, on the other hand, seemed more at easing spending time with this daughter of a violinist, preferring treks and walks to galas and dinners. One would never guess that he was a Chagny.

That was partly the reason why he had wanted Raoul to accompany him to London; it would have given Philippe the chance to better understand his younger brother.

"_When will you understand, younger brother, that this was not my choice, either?_" he thought.

"Do you think that we should pay a visit to Monsieur Daaé and ask him where Master Raoul is?" asked the governess, trying her hardest not to fret over the missing viscount.

"Yes; we shall leave at once," said Philippe.

* * *

It seemed like an age and a half until Raoul and Christine felt safe enough to stop running. They reached a clearing. It was a small, grassy clearing where the mushrooms grew in an odd circle formation, but the children were far too exhausted and shaken to admire it.

"Raoul, your shoulder!" Christine exclaimed.

"I'll be fine, Christine," he promised her. "But I don't expect that my governess will be pleased to see that I've ruined yet _another_ jacket…"

"Why on earth would you wear your best clothes to the woods?" asked Christine, as she placed a handkerchief on Raoul's shoulder.

Despite himself, Raoul smiled, and Christine seemed to read his mind.

"Your governess didn't know that you were coming today, did she?" Christine asked, her eyebrows arched. "Oh, Raoul…"

"Can you blame me for not telling her, Christine?" he asked. "She would never have let me go this far into the woods, either…" He trailed off as he realized that they were, in fact, lost.

"This is my fault…" Christine realized.

"No," said Raoul, hastily. "You didn't know that it was a lynx kitten that you were hearing--"

"I wouldn't have heard the kitten if I had listened to you about straying from the path," she said, her lip quivering slightly. "And now look at where I've got us! Not only are we lost, but you've hurt your shoulder because of me!"

"But I told you, Christine; I'm absolutely fine!" he said. He wasn't upset with Christine at all; he was merely relieved that she had escaped from the lynx. Being lost was a predicament, but it was a predicament that could easily be remedied after a few careful observations of the sky.

"But how shall we ever find our way back?"

"Simple," said Raoul. "We shall wait for evening. Once I find the North Star, I should be able to find the way back. After that, we just explain to your father that we lost track of time, and that we apologize for being late for supper. And no one will ever know that we were lost."

Christine glanced up at the sky.

"I hope you are right," she said. "But it looks like those clouds are rolling in; how will you ever find the North Star if the clouds remain there?"

Raoul let out a low whistle, adding a silent prayer that the clouds _would_ disperse by twilight. If they did not clear by that time, it would certainly present problems for them.

Christine looked away.

"I'm sorry, Raoul."

"You have nothing to apologize for," he assured her. "If you had not asked me to come today, I'd be in my room, studying."

"At least you wouldn't be lost in the woods," she replied, forlornly.

"Well, you wanted to have an adventure, Christine," he said. "I say we make the most of it."

And, at last, a slight smile found its way to Christine's lips.

"Yes…" she said, and she pointed to the circle of mushrooms. "I think we might be close to the elves, Raoul; we have found an elf circle!"

And Raoul had to wonder if finding the ring of mushrooms was a coincidence, or if it had something to do with seeing the strange creature not too long ago. Legend had it that rings of mushrooms were gateways to the realm of the fair folk. If that was the case, what on earth had that green creature been?

Raoul leaned forward, to try to see if he could discern any small footprints in the grass, which would have indicated the presence of something walking into the circle of mushrooms.

"Be careful, Raoul; mind that you don't go into the ring!" warned Christine, placing a hand upon his arm. "If you go in, you might not come out! I wouldn't want you to disappear like that…"

"True," Raoul mused. "We only came to see the elves—not join them… And Philippe wouldn't be at all pleased if that were to actually happen."

They sat by the circle of mushrooms for a few minutes.

"I doubt that the elves will show themselves whilst we sit here and wait for them," Christine said. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "We should hide behind some of the trees and see if they come!"

Raoul nodded; it would do no good for them to wander around. Perhaps it would be best if they waited here for twilight, so that they'd be able to see the stars. And he had to admit that coming across the elf circle had slightly intrigued him; maybe, just maybe, they _had_ seen an elf.

The two friends immediately retreated behind the nearest couple of trees, watching and waiting for something to happen.


	4. Stormy Weather

Monsieur Daaé had been resting when he heard someone at the door. He half expected that it would be the children coming back early (or deciding that they had the need for more snacks). So, he was mildly surprised when he opened the door to see Count Philippe, with Raoul's distraught governess by his side.

"Monsieur Comte de Chagny," said the violinist, with a nod of respect. "To what do I owe this good fortune?"

"I wouldn't refer to it as 'good fortune,'" the count replied, rather brusquely. "It seems as though my younger brother has been wandering off with your daughter without telling anyone. Do you happen to know of his whereabouts?"

"Indeed I do, Monsieur," he replied. "He was here not too long ago to help my daughter pack a picnic lunch. They are taking their lunch to the edge of the forest… I believe that looking for elves was on their agenda. I humbly apologize if your brother was not to be here."

"Indeed, it is not your fault," agreed Philippe. "The boy chose to be defiant today. However, it is not right for the young aristocracy to engage in such activities as picnics by the forest or elf hunting."

"What you say may be true, but he is still a child," insisted Daaé. "However much he exasperates you with his antics, you do not want him to grow up too quickly, Monsieur."

A distant rumble of thunder caused everyone to glance at the sky, which had suddenly clouded over with a thick, dark gray blanket of clouds that swelled with promise of heavy rain.

"However," Daaé continued. "They are both very wise children. I assume it shan't be long until they arrive here to escape the storm. If your Lordship would like to wait here, I am certain that your brother shall arrive soon enough."

"I wouldn't know if I agree with Raoul being overly wise," said Philippe, casting a derisive glance at Daaé's dismantled hedge, from which he withdrew a gold button that had, a few hours ago, been on the boy's jacket.

He indicated the button to the violinist. Daaé merely shrugged in reply, as though gold buttons were found in his hedge on a daily basis.

"Children will be children, Monsieur," he said.

"So it would appear…" Philippe replied, in disapproval. "That is why they need boundaries."

Another rumble of thunder roared in the distance.

"Do come inside, Monsieur Comte," said Daaé. "We can continue this discussion further. You are welcome, too, Madame," he added to the governess, who was clearly worrying over the thought of Raoul being caught in the rain.

"It wouldn't be good for him," she fretted. "Why, he could catch cold, or worse—he could take ill…"

"Madame, you do not seem to have much faith in the boy," Daaé observed, and he turned to Philippe. "Nor do you, Monsieur Comte, if you will pardon me for saying such a thing."

"You are correct, Monsieur Daaé," said Philippe, not offended. "We do not have much faith in Raoul _because_ he is a child. If you believe that children are prepared to handle every obstacle that comes their way, then that is your opinion; I, for one, do not share it."

"Never did I say that they were self-sufficient," said the violinist. "I only believe that they are able to handle certain challenges without any help from us. It helps them to grow."

"I am afraid that I must disagree," the count replied.

Daaé said nothing more. He bowed his head respectfully to the nobleman, and then headed into the kitchen to prepare a cup of tea for his guests.

* * *

The approaching storm did not go unnoticed by the two children in the forest. The humid, muggy air was rolling in, and they could feel it, despite the trees all around them. And even in the forest, the distant rumbling could be heard, signaling the oncoming storm.

And through it all, not a blade of grass moved in the clearing. The _Amanita_ mushrooms in the ring did not sway. And there wasn't a sound to be heard, apart from the sporadic, faint thunder. No bird uttered a note, no squirrel chattered, and no single creature was out or about. It was truly the calm before the storm, and it was frighteningly eerie.

"I… I thought that it was getting rather dark for the afternoon," said Christine, as she glanced up at the sky. The clouds that she had seen earlier had thickened to such an extent that the dark cloud covering, combined with the tall trees around them, had cut the light around them down to almost nothing.

Raoul said nothing, trying to size up the situation. He had been banking on the evening stars to help guide them out of the forest. Not only were there too many clouds to see them, but a storm was rapidly approaching them, and they would soon be in the thick of it.

"It won't do us any good to stay in the clearing," said Raoul, getting up from his hiding place. "We need to find some sort of shelter; there has to be some sort of shelter out here, even if it's just an abandoned animal den."

"But where are we supposed to look?" Christine asked. "And what kind of animal would have a den large enough?"

"Wolves come and go in these woods," said Raoul. "Perhaps they may have left one of their dens behind--"

"Wolves!?" gasped Christine. "You cannot be serious!"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't try to go in whist they are still there!" Raoul informed her. "Usually, the packs move out of the area by this time of year; if we're fortunate, we can find--"

He was cut off by a louder crack of thunder.

"We cannot wait any longer," he said, seizing her arm. "Come with me; we must find a place to get out of the storm."

"Mind the elf circle!" cried Christine, as Raoul's foot came dangerously close to the white mushrooms. The girl blinked, distracted, as a raindrop splashed upon her nose. "Raoul, the rain is already starting…"

"I know; just keep running," he said, desperately keeping an eye out for a place to escape the storm. It wasn't the rain that he was worried about, of course; the lightning would prove to be a bigger problem for them.

* * *

Raoul knew of how badly these coastal storms could get; his father, Count Philibert, had told him and his elder siblings many tales of his days on the sea, and of the storms he had been through.

And Raoul himself had experienced one a few years prior when Philibert had taken them along on a trip across the English Channel. He remembered it well; his father had ordered him and his sisters to get below the decks while Philippe remained behind to help him. Raoul, of course, had not been willing to miss out on the action, even at that young age. He took the first chance he received to escape from his sisters to return to the deck.

He had been only seven years old at the time, but even then, he had been in awe of the sight that had greeted him. The great flashes of lightning that had lit up the night sky… the cracks of thunder that sounded like the sky breaking in two… the howling of the wind as it swirled around the ship… the sheets of rain that had soaked him to the bone within minutes… the numerous waves that were causing the ship to lurch aggressively in any which way… Raoul had heard about such scenes from his father's stories, but never had he believed them to be possible until that day, when he had seen the sights with his own eyes.

His curiosity had been satisfied, and he had considered returning to below the deck when the ship had lurched again without warning, throwing him off balance. He had wrapped his arms around the ship's railing, bracing himself against the waves that washed over him as they grew large enough to swamp the deck. But he had refused to call out for help; pride would not let him. In retrospect, it had been foolish to wander on deck in the first place.

He need not have bothered; it hadn't been long before his father and brother noticed him.

"Raoul!?" Philibert had roared, his booming voice audible over the wind and thunder. "What in Heaven's name do you think you're doing!?"

"I… I wanted to help…" the boy had replied, spitting out the mouthful of seawater that he had received upon a particularly large wave washing over him as he had spoken.

Philibert had said nothing in reply, though he had pulled his son away from the railing, sending him to stand with his brother as he turned his attention back to navigating in the storm.

No one said another word; Raoul and Philippe watched in silence as their father kept them out of trouble until the storm had finally ended. Then, Raoul had received a talking to from his father.

"You should have stayed below the deck, as I had instructed you to do," Count Philibert had said. "However, your bravery is to be admired. You are a true Chagny, my son, but next time, don't be so quick to prove it."

Even then, his father's words had pleased him.

* * *

"Raoul?" Christine asked, bringing him back to the situation at hand. "Do you have any idea as to where we are going? It seems as though we're only going deeper and deeper into the woods."

"That is to be expected," said Raoul. The rain was staring to come down fairly quickly; the two friends were already drenched. "We shall be more likely to find a place to get out of the rain the deeper we go."

"Couldn't we just find a nice, tall tree to stay under until the storm passes?" asked the girl.

"No; that's the last place we want to be," Raoul informed her.

"But why?"

"Because--" the viscount began, but was once again interrupted by the thunder. "_That's_ the reason why; trees attract lightning."

"I wish I were as smart as you, Raoul," she said. "You can use the stars to find your way, you know exactly where to go in a storm, even if you are in the middle of the forest, and you can fend off a lynx… even when that lynx didn't even want to bother with you."

"_She is still feeling guilty for that…_" Raoul realized. "_Christine, can't you see that I would be willing to fend off a whole group of lynx, wolves, or anything else just for you…? You mean so much to me, Christine; that is the entire reason why I came here with you today…_"

A particularly close crack of thunder caused Christine to shriek in fear.

"Oh, why did I insist on coming here!?" she cried, furious with herself. "We could have gone to the village square and looked in the bookshops for more stories, and we would be at my father's house right now reading them instead of being lost in the woods in this terrible weather!"

A sob escaped her, though she was trying her hardest not to cry. What good would that do them, anyway?

"Don't cry, Little Lotte," said Raoul, softly. He did not blame her in the slightest; after all, he had been her exact same age when he had been wandering about the deck of the ship that night of the storm in the Channel. "Just leave everything to your Commodore."

She glanced at him, first at the torn sleeve of his jacket (due to the lynx's claws), and then at his face. The rain was plastering his blond bangs to his forehead, giving his hair a slightly darker hue. But she could see the sincerity in his deep, blue eyes; he wasn't putting on an act just for the sole purpose of making Christine feel better about herself.

"Father must be worried about us," she said, realizing that the violinist would have been expecting them to come back ahead of the rain. "If we ever do get out of here, what do we tell him?"

"The same thing we tell my governess," Raoul replied, as they continued on. "She must have realized by now that I am not studying in my room, as I led her to believe… You needn't worry about the explanations, Christine; just leave all of that to me."

She knew what he meant by that; he was going to take the blame for everything: going into the forest, getting lost, and not coming back in time. And even though she was grateful, she still wished that there was something she could do.


End file.
